Retailer keen to rebuild, needs help

He said items recovered by police after the looting of its warehouse during the civil unrest would be assessed before the company decides on the right action to take, including donation to charity organisations.

It was reported that Brian Bell suffered a loss of K50 million after its warehouse in Port Moresby’s Gerehu suburb was emptied by opportunists during the citywide ransack of businesses and their properties.

The chairman said unfortunately this was not a natural disaster, where the cost of goods could be recovered through insurance.

According to industry experts, damages sustained by businesses due to theft, arson and looting are not covered by insurance.

“We are a strong organisation and we will rebuild,” Clough said.

“We are committed to Papua New Guinea but we need assistance from the government; we pay our taxes, we contribute and now we ask for assistance in the form of relief.

“I’m not a compensation guy, I’m a Papua new Guinean but I believe government is liable because it was not the business houses’ doing on Wednesday that led to the destruction suffered by the business community.”
He said the assistance can come in the form of tax relief, physical planning board interventions to fast-track applications “so we can rebuild and get our people back to work.”

“The government can help us to buy stock and fix the foreign exchange issue so as to allow us to buy products from overseas,” Clough said.
The chairman condoned the senseless burning of property.

“Looting happens all over the world during crisis but the senseless burning of property is a new thing for PNG people; it’s unacceptable,” Clough said.

He said business houses would be back in business far quicker if they did not have to deal with the destruction to property but what resulted might take weeks, months or years to restore.

Clough thanked NCD Governor Powes Parkop for offering to cut Goods and Services Tax (GST) for business houses that were affected